DENVER - The Western Athletic Conference announced its preseason all-WAC selections and coaches poll for women's soccer on Thursday and Idaho's women were tabbed for seventh.

Idaho, which returns eight starters and 17 letterwinners from last year's team that went 9-10 overall and posted the NCAA's second-best win improvement, earned 28 points in the poll.

Vandal forward Chelsea Small was selected to the Preseason All-WAC team. Small set an Idaho freshman record with 20 points (8g, 4a) and earned first-team all-WAC and WAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2009.

Utah State was picked to win the league, followed by Boise State, San Jose State and Nevada. Fresno State, Hawai'i, Idaho and New Mexico State were separated by a total of nine points for the fifth through eighth places. Louisiana Tech was picked ninth.

Idaho plays its first game on August 14 at home against Washington State in an exhibition. The team's first regular-season game will be at UC Irvine on August 20.